


What Once Was and What Will Be

by BacktraF



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Both Connor and Richard have powers, Connor and Richard and twins, Not Beta Read, RK900's name is Richard, more tags to be added later, superpower au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-06-21 00:09:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15545274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BacktraF/pseuds/BacktraF
Summary: Connor and Richard, twins, born into a normal family, have powers. Their parents tried to keep it a secret, but they didn't do well enough. Now the twins are gone and their parents are dead. A new life is ahead for them.





	1. Prologue

"Subject R-K-eight-zero-zero, step forward." A disembodied robotic voice sounded over head.

A small boy, no older than six flinched back at the sound, fresh tears spilling down his cheeks. He didn't understand what was happening. He and his brother were just sitting down with their parents for dinner when the front door suddenly slammed open and strange men grabbed the twins, taking them away from their screaming parents. He didn't know what happened to them, but there were bright flashes in the house after they left.

"Subject R-K-eight-zero-zero, step forward." The voice repeated and someone from behind the boy pushed him. He remembered someone calling them his 'handler' but he didn't understand what that meant.

Without any further prodding, he stepped forward, and he looked up, trying to determine if he was supposed to look some where or do something. So much information filled his head, he was so overwhelmed that he had to look down to minimize the amount of things he was looking at, which, to be honest, wasn't much. He was in a simple, but large room. A windowed room overhung above, a dim light illuminating the interior. No one was in it, but he still knew he was being watched. Behind him, he knew his brother was struggling against their handlers, trying to get to him, but there was a threat to separate them if the need arose, so he wasn't fighting as hard as he knew he could.

The voice suddenly broke through again. "State your name."

The boy flinched, sniffling before stuttering out. "C-Con-ner." He hiccuped as another sob broke from his lips.

"Subject R-K-eight-zero-zero, step back."

Not wanting anyone to grab him and pull him back, he did as he was told and waited quietly.

"Subject R-K-nine-zero-zero, step forward."

His twin practically growled and ripped from the hold of his handler before stepping forward, a defiant, angry look in his eye. No one made his brother cry and got away with it.

"State your name"

"Richard."

"Subject R-K-nine-zero-zero, step back." The voice didn't wait for Richard to follow the instructions before continuing. "Handlers, take the subjects to their room and observe."

Without further prompting, the two men grabbed the boys and dragged them off to their shared room. Connor was immensely relieved, scared that they would separate them. Once they were locked away, Connor and Richard clung to each other, both terrified and unsure of what was going to happen to them. Here their lives began anew, though far from being good.

In another room, a woman looked down at the files of the twins, mouth drawn into a tight line as she read. "Connor and Richard Philips. The first time we've found twins with supernatural abilites.

"Yes Miss Stern. R-K-eight-zero-zero..."

"Please, I don't want to here them called by their so called 'subject' names. They're still little boys. They have names, use them."

"I apologize. Uh, the one called Connor has the ability to analyze incredible amounts of detail all at once and process different senarios and understand things better and faster than any other human. He essentially is like a machine in that respect. Richard has incredible stength. We've observed them while they were at their school and they're always together. They've never been seen talking to each other which leads us to believe that they have some sort of telepathic communication with each other."

As the man finished, the woman raised her head and frowned. "I want you to put them through a series of tests that require them to work together and see how they do. I also want you to test they're abilites separately."

"Yes Amanda." The man nodded his head and stepped out of the room.

Once he was gone, she closed they're files and sat back, a sigh escaping from her lips. She didn't like doing this to children but she didn't get paid for empathy. She got paid for results. Pushing aside her feelings, she sat straighter and stood from her chair. She had work to do.


	2. Chapter 2

-8 years later-

"Subject R-K-eight-zero-zero, please run through the test again."

Connor sat at the table, staring at the complicated gun in front of him, an expression of disinterest in his eyes. He had run through this 3 times already and they still did not seem satisfied. With a small sigh, he picked up the weapon and immediately began disassembling it. His movements were precise as his eyes flicked to each individual piece of the gun, tracking where each part had gone and how he was taking it apart. In his mind, he was labeling each different piece, noting how it looked originally. Once it was all apart, he settled for a moment so the recording device could see that each part was completely separated from all of the other parts before quickly piecing it back together. As he finished the reassembly, he set the gun on the table and looked at the camera.

"Am I done yet?" He asked, his fingers twitching ever so slightly.

"Yes. Amanda will see you now. Your handler will escort you."

A door on the far side of the room slid open and Connor stood from his chair, walking over stiffly to it, his expression remaining neutral. Eight years of emotional neglect had left him feeling distant and a bit cold. The only one he really let any emotion show for anymore was his brother. He hoped he would get to see him soon. They had made a not so wise attempt at escape a few days ago that made the facility not too happy with them which caused them to be separated for a while. He could feel his twins distress in the back of his mind and his hand twitched again.

The handler led him down a hall and stopped at a door before producing a set of keys and unlocking it. "In you go. You know Amanda doesn't like to be kept waiting."

"I'm well aware of her preferences. I happen to process things faster than any normal person can." Connor said with a small roll of his eyes before stepping into the room. The other scoffed as he shut the door behind him, the click signifying that he had locked it again. It was just a room with a table and the head administrator of this facility in it, but Connor couldn't stop the tempting analysis of the room, different senarios popping into his head of how he could escape and find Richard. He quickly blinked the options away and shook his head before sitting across from Amanda in the small room.

Pausing in what she was doing, the administator looked up, a smile gracing her lips. "Connor, it's good to see you."

"Hello, Amanda." He responded with a small nod.

"You've been doing very well, Connor. You're show improvement to your abilities daily, doing each task faster than the last time."

Connor frowned and looked down at his hands.

"What's wrong?" Amanda prompted, leaning forward ever so slightly.

"What you have me doing... I find it extremely hard to keep interest in it anymore. I'm desperate for more of a challenge." Pausing for a moment, he glanced up. "If... you let Richard and I see each other again, we could do so much more."

"Connor, after what happened three days ago, you should know why we have to keep you two separated. We're still repairing the damage that was sustained."

He continued to press the matter, desperation on the edge of his voice. "It won't happen again, Amanda."

She pressed her lips into a thin line before looking down at the files in front of her. Before she could make a descision or answer him, the door was unlocked again and one of the handlers stepped inside. A look of disapproval flashed across her features.

"There better be a good reason for interupting us."

"Yes Miss Stern. It's subject R-K-nine-zero-zero. There is a small issue."

Amanda let out a small sigh before standing up. "I guess we'll have to reunite the twins now, then."

Connor almost smiled but he steeled himself and stood as well, trying not to appear too desperate. Amanda smiled calmly at him.

"You'll be seeing your brother again, but don't expect to see him for long. A punishment still needs to run it's course."

"I understand."

Amanda nodded and led him out of the building and too a separate one on the far side of the grounds. Connor couldn't stop himself from analyzing the exterior of the facility, trying to run through what Richard and he had done to escape and what went wrong. How could they do it better next time. Looking to the outter wall at the edge of the ground, he looked at where Richard had punched through the foot thick cement wall, shattering it before taking multiple tranquilizing darts. Even with so many, he was still awake, and stronger than the average human, but due to his weakened state, they were able to subdue him. Connor looked away from the wall and to the looming building in front of him.

It was a building consisting of multiple steel walled rooms meant for containing destructive abilities. He remembered seeing someone who had the ability to create small explosions with his hands being locked away in there. Connor wondered how many more people they kept locked away. He's only seen a few since he'd been brought here, but he knew there had to be more.

His thoughs were interupted when another man ran up to them, concern evident in his features. "Miss Stern, he's denting six inch steel walls." Connor detected a hint of fear in his voice and he couldn't help the small smirk from settling onto his lips. The man that had spoken saw the smirk and immediately was taken aback.

"Well that's why we brought his brother. Connor, you may enter the room." Amanda gestured towards the room where his brother was being kept.

With a small nod, Connor stepped foward. One of the men at the door unlocked it and stepped aside so Connor could push it open. Moving inside, frustrated noises could be heard through the open door.

"Richard."

Said boy stopped his movement, fist raised and ready to punch the wall again, and looked over at the source of the voice. Relief instantly flooded his eyes and he ran over to Connor, latching onto him in a bone crushing hug. "I was trying to get out so I could find you. I couldn't take it anymore!"

"We're not going to be able to stay together. Amanda is still angry with us. We shouldn't have tried to escape." He spoke out loud but in his mind, he began telling him something different. 'I've been running through why we were caught. I should've have seen them sooner, it was my fault.'

'No Connor, it's not your fault. They're making you do all of these bullshit tests, messing with your mind. They haven't changed from those tests of disassembling and reassembling those guns, have they?'

'That is correct. They have been... restricting my abilities.'

He could feel Richard's sense of unease and anger. 'We need to get out of here. They're trying to tame us. I don't know what they want to use us for, but whatever it is, it isn't good.'

Connor made sure that the other could feel is agreement before he was pulled away by one of the handlers. Richard snarled and moved to lunge at them, but was quickly shot with multiple traqulizing darts again.

"Richard!" Connor panicked, scared of what they were going to do to him as multiple men ran forward to take him down and restrain him. "Stop!"

He was dragged from the room and over to Amanda. "I told you. The punishment hasn't run it's course yet. You helped us calm him down so we could restrain him and make sure he doesn't do anymore damage."

Connor looked to the ground so he didn't show the look of anger on his face.

Amanda sighed and waved her hand. "Take him back to his room."

He was quickly dragged away taken back outside and to a secluded, small building and locked in it. It was just a small, empty room to ensure that he couldn't find anything to use as an escape. There was no handle on the inside of the door, and the seem where the door meets the wall was specifically made so that he couldn't fit anything through it. Trembling, he curled up, hoping the punishment would go by quick. The next week, however, was the longest he's ever experienced.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so glad this got such positive feedback. This chapter mostly revolves around introducing you a bit more into the story. I hope you enjoyed it!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor and Richard finally see each other again, but the road ahead is going to be long and hard.

"Richard can hardly be contained anymore without constant sedatives and Connor is on the verge of a mental break down." Amanda spoke out loud, though mostly to herself, making brief notes on a piece of paper. "This has been a trying week for us all, those two most of all. I think it's time we let them see each other again, don't you think?"

She turned to look at the nearest sentry who immediately stood straighter and saluted. Giving a half-hearted chuckle, she waved her hand dismissively. "No need to be so formal. Now, go get Connor and take him to see his brother. Can't risk them breaking before we've gotten to use them."

"Yes, Mrs Stern." The man nodded in her direction before leaving the room.

Amanda smirked after he left. "We'll be in control of their emotions soon enough."

___

Connor sat on the floor to his sealed off room, shaking violently as he tried to mentally keep himself together. How long had it been? He couldn't tell. It felt like it had been weeks, possibly months, alone in this room save for the occasional handler opening his door to give him food or stop him from hurting himself. They couldn't stop all of it though. Red lines where he had scratched himself raw ran up his arms, when being without his brother had been too much for him.

The door creaked open and he couldn't stop himself from covering his ears. In reality, the sound wasn't that loud, but without his brother near, it was getting harder and harder to control his own ability, making everything he saw or heard send overwhelming amounts of information to his brain as he tried and failed to sort it all out.

Hands quickly hooked under his arms and lifted him up, dragging him from the room to the outside. He realized that he was being led somewhere and fear overtook him as he rushed to figure out what could be the reason for this. His brain was too muddled, however, to come up with any reasonable explanation, so he opted to slump in their arms, essentially giving up to whatever they had in store for him. 

When he was brought to the building Richard was being held in, he didn't show any sign of recognition, but as soon as the door to Richard's holding cell was open, relief settled in Connor's mind immediately. He could think clearly again. Richard was also visibly relaxing, though as much as one could when strapped to a table and already under sedation.

Tears flooded Connor's eyes, thankful for the control again and being able to see his twin. "R-Rich..."

"Connor!" He called out, obviously weak from the drugs in his system.

Hesitantly, Connor looked to the handlers who had pulled him into the room, like he was seeking permission. One nod from one of the men and Connor surged forward, hugging Richard tightly. "How much longer does he have to stay restrained?"

"Amanda gave us orders to bring you two together and take you to her. So he can be taken out now. Just understand that we can take you down again if you try anything."

Connor shot him a glare before stepping back and letting the handlers undo the restraints holding Richard down. As soon as he was free, Connor rushed forward to help keep him steady as he tried to stand on his own. They let them have a moment before ushering the two boys from the holding cell and outside to the far building that Amanda was in.

Now that Connor could think clearly, he looked to the outer wall again and noted that the destruction that he and his brother had caused was completely repaired now, and reinforcements were being put up as well. The desire to escape seemed to dwindle in the face of that fact, not to mention he didn't want to risk being away from Richard again. He wasn't sure he would be able to bear that again.

As they drew closer to the building where Amanda resided, Connor could feel Richard reach out to him, both physically and mentally. 'Con, are you okay? You feel weak to me.'

'Physically I'm fine, but it may take some time to recover from the last week.' Came his weary reply. Richard gave his hand a squeeze and frowned, concern flooding into Connor's mind. 'We'll be fine. Besides... they don't want to break us.' There was a small hint of defeat that Richard could feel and that scared him. Connor was almost giving up, and that's just what they wanted.

'Connor, you can't just give up. They're trying to control us.'

'I don't want to lose you... or myself.'

Richard's shoulder's dropped slightly. They needed to do something, but he wasn't sure what they could do at this point. His thoughts were cut short as they entered the building, and he tugged slightly on Connor's arm so he would look at him. 'We'll get through this.'

Connor gave him a small smile and turned to look at the approaching figure of Amanda.

"Hello boys, have you learned your lesson well enough?"

Connor could feel the rage building in Richard, but his calm washed back over to him to keep him level headed. "Yes, Amanda. It was foolish of us to attempt it. We apologize."

"Good, now I have a surprise for you two. We need to train your abilities together and test the boundaries of what you both are truly capable of. We're going to need the both of you very soon."

Connor gave a small nod, mulling over in his head what sort of tests she could have in mind. "Of course. But about these tests..."

"Yes, you could call them somewhat of an obstacle course. Using both of your abilities to conquer the hardest of trials. As you complete the tests, they will get harder and, well, a bit more dangerous. Think you are up to the challenge?" She asked sweetly, though a bit teasing as well, trying to bait them. Both the twins could see it, but if they didn't rise to the bait, there might be consequences that neither of them wanted to face right now.

"Of course, Amanda." Connor answered quickly, adding a bit of eagerness to his voice. "Once we are done with these tests, what will you have us be doing?"

"Hunting more like the two of you. Finding other people, children or adult, who have extraordinary abilities. They need to be contained because they are a danger to society."

Richard sent over a wave of unease and Connor returned it. They didn't voice any of their concerns, keeping their faces looking like they were intrigued but the prospect.

"You will start your training tomorrow and hopefully a couple of months from now, you'll see that you are beyond ready for the task ahead. I have a lot of faith in the both of you. Don't fail me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, finally pushed out this chapter! Hope you guys enjoyed it!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hunt begins

Connor looked up at the small house in front of them where a boy was reportedly living who had strange abilities. People stated that they had seen multiple animals come and go after they had seen the boy go in. Giving a side look to his brother, Connor nodded towards the door and Richard silently looked at the object standing in front of them.

He reached forward and with a quick jerk of his wrist, he broke the lock and pushed open the door. As soon as the door was open, Connor looked around, the smell immediately hitting him. He winced and covered his nose, information assaulting his mind. He gagged a bit and closed his eyes so he wasn't quite as overwhelmed. Mentally he felt Richard reach out to him to steady him and bring him back to the present. Opening his eyes again, Connor was able to separate and filter the information.

'Lets find him and get out of here.' Richard stated, his fists clenching and unclenching.

Connor gave a small nod and began looking in each room for there subject. As the facility wanted to call him, Subject W-B-two-zero-zero. There were small animals everywhere. Squirrels, mice and rats, birds, a few foxes and a lot of cats. A thump upstairs caused them both to pause and look up. Looking at each other, they both nodded before slowly moving up the stairs.

A voice was heard as they got higher up, most likely their target, though they couldn't really make out what he was saying. It sounded as though he was speaking in a soothing tone to someone, or something. They got to the top of the stairs when the floor boards creaked, sounding their presence. They both froze at the same time knowing that they had been caught because he voice no longer could be heard. Richard grit his teeth before continuing to the room they had heard the other in.

Connor frowned but followed after him. When they opened the door and looked around, all they could see was a couple of dogs, one of them with a freshly wrapped leg. Connor immediately began connecting the dots in his mind. The boy had been talking soothingly to the dog because it had been injured. Looking around, he tried to make out where he could have gone. As he walked around the room, he found an old school ID that showed the name Rupert Travis on it. Tilting his head, he frowned a bit, setting the ID down.

His gaze drifted upward towards the ceiling, catching sight of a hole. 'Richard, I believe he's up there.'

Richard followed his gaze before giving him a nod and climbing the chair that was situated right below the opening. As he began to look into the hole, a shadowy figure threw himself at the other, both of them falling to the floor. Richard and the figure righted themselves, but Rupert immediately took off out the door. The twins both made a move to run after, but the uninjured dog immediately jumped and sunk it's teeth into Connor's arm, halting his chase. Richard paused to help him, feeling the pain in his mind.

Connor shook his head. 'No! Go after him we can't let him escape. Amanda won't be happy if we let him go!'

Richard only hesitated for a moment longer before turning around and taking off after him. Rupert had made it down the stairs before Richard was able to catch up. The other gasped in shock at how quickly he had been able to catch up. He ran straight for the front door, slightly shocked at seeing it broken, causing him to pause for a second. That was all that Richard needed as he caught up, wrapping his arms around his torso to keep him still. Rupert thrashed out, his eyes wide.

"No, please! I just want to be free!"

"You aren't the only one." Richard growled back, hand cuffing him so he couldn't escape.

Connor came down the stairs, cradling his arm to his chest, a slight limp in his walk. His teeth were grit in obvious pain. "Smart trying to disable the weaker of us two, but I'm still stronger than I look."

A look of fear spread across Rupert's face. "You didn't hurt them, did you?"

"I don't hurt dogs." Connor muttered quietly before sighing. 'Lets get out of here. Amanda still won't be happy that I got hurt, but it's better than not showing up with the subject.'

Richard nodded and hauled their captive out to the van awaiting their return down the street. Once in the vehicle, Rupert was immediately sedated and secured while Connor was tended to by his brother.

Hissing in pain, Connor sat back in his chair as Richard looked at the injury. 'I'll be fine.'

'I know you will be, but I still felt like shit leaving you to get mauled by a dog. How did you get away from it?'

Connor smirked and produced a small silver dog whistle. 'I requested one since this Subject could communicate with animals. I figured it would be a good idea.'

Richard smiled and shook his head. 'You think of everything, don't you.'

'Getting bit wasn't part of the plan, but I factored it in as a variable.' He moved his injured arm and winced, causing Richard to frown.

'We need to get that looked at soon.'

"Hey! Stop talking to each other in your fucking minds." The driver of the car growled out. "You heard Doctor Stern. If you're gonna talk to each other, then do so out loud."

"We are merely minding our own business and seeking comfort in the silence." Connor responded when he saw Richard about to open his mouth and yell at the man.

"Sure you were." He huffed before focusing on the road.

Settling down, the twins simply sat in silence this time. Connor let his eyes drift close as he lay against Richards shoulder and the other wrapped his arm around him in a protective embrace.

When they finally arrived back at the facility, Amanda was there waiting for them. She had a smile on her face as Rupert was taken away and she turned to face the twins.

"Very good, you two. I knew you both could achieve great things." Her eyes drifted to Connor's injured arm. "What happened there, Connor?"

"His animals attacked me. Though I had expected it may happen, so I came prepared."

"Not prepared enough, it seems. We can't afford for mistakes like this. It can cause the subjects to escape."

"He didn't escape though." Richard argued, moving between Connor and Amanda. "We got him and brought him in."

"And congratulations. But he still could've escaped because you two weren't careful enough."

Richard opened his mouth to argue more, but Connor placed his hand on his shoulder, silencing him.

"We understand, Amanda. We'll be more careful in the future."

"Good. I'm doing this for the good of mankind. There could be a war coming, and I'm trying to prevent it. We need to apprehend all of these super humans and make sure that they are secured to protect people from them."

Both of the twins frowned, wanting to argue, but also knowing that that could get them separated again for another week. Perhaps longer if Amanda truly didn't trust them. So they kept their mouth shut. Doing so was the only way they could guarantee they're own safety and make sure they stayed together.

"Yes Amanda. We won't disappoint you." Connor said, resignedly.

"Make sure you don't. You two are our most powerful assets. It would be a shame to lose you."

"We understand." They said in unison this time.

She nodded in approval before dismissing them with a small flick of her wrist. "Now go to the infirmary. We need to get that taken care of." She stated simply before walking off.

Richard looked at Connor and sighed. "Come on, lets get your arm looked at."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright sorry for the semi long wait. I needed to take a brief break due to work. But here we are again! I hope you enjoyed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter Markus. Connor and Richard continue the hunt.

Markus stood at the entrance of a small warehouse, abandoned years ago by it's previous owners. He wrapped his arms around himself and tried to rub some warmth back into his limbs. Thinking back to the other night's events, Markus winced as he tried to keep a fresh wave of tears from forming. 

His father had adopted him and treated him like he was actually family, showing him love that most didn't. His father had a heart attack and Markus was at his side in an instant, holding him close, thinking that he was going to die. As suddenly as it had started, it stopped, shocking both Markus and his brother Leo. The doctors had declared that his heart was in perfect health and showed no signs of weakness. Leo caught on immediately, knowing that Markus always healed too quickly. Leo accused him of outrageous things, making up wild stories before ultimately calling the authorities on him. Markus had known that Leo didn't like him, but he didn't know it was to this extent. That's when he decided to run and never look back.

That's how he found himself standing here, in front of the warehouse that he was told by a random kid living in a dump, and too scared to go himself. Slowly moving forward, Markus grabbed at the handle to the door and pulled, the creaking making him flinch at how loud it was. He hoped he was at the right place, and also hoped it wasn't a trap. He slipped through the door when it was open enough for him to do so and pulled it closed behind him. It was dark, and he couldn't stop the spike of fear from running down his back. He felt like he was being watched. Looking around, he spotted a flash light lying on the floor.

After grabbing the tool and turning it on, the light shown around the room he was in. Not much in there save for a lone desk with some scattered papers, damp and torn. To his left there were stairs and he went straight for them. Making his way to the top, he figured he could get a better view of the entire warehouse up there. As he walked along the catwalk, shining his light down to the floor, he saw a shadow run and duck behind something. Startled by the sudden movement, he dropped the flashlight over the edge and made to grab for it. He misjudged the distance, however and lost his footing on the grated floor of the walkway, slipping over the railing and tumbling after his flash light. He thought he heard someone gasp as soon as he hit the floor, but he ignored it in favor of trying to get his shocked body to breath again.

"Is he dead?" Someone not too far away whispered.

"Of course he is, no one could survive that fall..."

Markus groaned as air finally began flowing into his lungs again, before he moved to sit up, making a grab for his flashlight. More gasps of surprise and shuffling as he stood up and shone the light around himself, finally revealing the source of the noise. Both children and adults, filthy and cowering in this abandoned warehouse.

"Is... this Jericho?" Markus asked, uncertain.

"Who's asking?" A defiant female asked, a fire in her eyes.

"One who is trying to stay safe and hidden." He responded before lifting his shirt and revealing the deep gash that he had obtained in his fall, but he was healing at an incredible rate.

"You'll be safe here." A young man answered, stepping forward. "My name is Simon. Welcome to..." He motioned halfheartedly around himself. "Jericho."

____

"Richard! Watch out!" Connor yelled as a root wrapped around the ankle of the stronger twin.

Richard snarled and snapped his foot back, splintering the wood in his quick actions. Another subject they had to catch only a day after they detained the one named Rupert. Connor was still healing from the bite and Richard was not happy that Amanda had forced another run on them so soon. His thoughts were cut short when another root swung out and hit him in the chest, knocking him over. Angry at himself for losing concentration and allowing for that to happen, he quickly stood back up, ducking as another root attempted to knock him over.

"L-Leave Ralph alone! Ralph just wants to be free!" cried out their newest subject who was curled up in the corner as the surrounding plants protected him.

Connor paused in his movements for a moment, his eyes darting quickly around the room as he calculated the quickest route to get to him. With unnatural reflexes, Connor ducked around the same root that had gone after Richard, jumping over another one a moment later. His eyes looked around again for another routed as the one he attempted to use suddenly became cut off. He began to realize that there were too many variables, too many things moving all at once. An overwhelming feeling slowed his reflexes, and without warning, a vine shot out and wrapped around his neck, lifting him off the ground.

The vine squeezed, cutting off his air. His hands shot up to his throat as he tried to pry the vine loose so he could just breath. Dark spots began popping up in his vision and he was pretty sure he heard his name being called, but he couldn't bring himself to care at the moment.

"Connor!" Richard's feet began moving on their own, towards his brother and the only thing he cared about. He tripped when a root grabbed his ankles, before two more wrapped around his wrists, almost immobilizing him. His sheer strength won out as he broke through one of the restraints, but only a moment later, another one took it's place. He wasn't going to make it to Connor in time. He could feel his twin slipping away in his mind. "Connor, no! Please stop!"

Trembling fingers continued to pull weakly at the vines before Connor's arms went slack and his eyes slipped closed.

"Please stop! Let him go!" Richard pulled and pulled, feeling his calm leaving him, and hysteria taking it's place. Connor was his rock, the thing that kept him grounded. He couldn't lose him!

Suddenly, the vines and roots retreated, dropping both of them to the floor of the house. Richard took no time to catch his breath or think. As soon as he was free, he crawled over to Connor and pulled him into his lap. "Wake up... Connor, open your eyes!"

"Ralph is sorry... he didn't mean to..." their subject's eyes were wide in shock with what he had done.

Richard felt a fury building in him, but as quickly as it came, it was gone like a flame doused in water.

"R-Richard..." Came Connor's hoarse voice. "He... he's just trying to protect..." He couldn't finish his sentence as he began coughing hard, trying to catch his breath.

The younger twin relished the calm that settled over him as he hugged Connor close. Standing slowly, he helped Connor to his feet, making sure he was steady. Looking up to their subject... no... Ralph, Richard steeled himself. "Let us leave, and we won't go after you... You escaped from us that's all they will know."

Ralph's eyes lit up as he smiled slightly. "Ralph thanks you! He will let you go!"

Richard nodded and helped Connor walk out the door and down the street to the awaiting transport.

"Where is subject W-R-six-zero-zero?" The man in the front of the vehicle asked.

"Does it look like we're in any shape to catch him?" Richard countered, glaring back at him. "Connor needs immediate medical attention and we aren't going back out until he's fully healed this time."

"Amanda isn't going to-"

"I don't care that Amanda isn't going to be happy. I care about my brother."

The man huffed in response and started the engine, taking them back to the facility.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, I like hurting Connor.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amanda has had enough of the twins' mistakes and decides to do something about it.

12 years ago

"So what do we have?"

A man looked up from his tablet at the approaching figure before stowing it away. "Well, Hank, we got a report of a double homicide. The scene is surprisingly clean save for the bodies and blood of course. Nothing appears out of place besides that. The neighbor reported that she was concerned when she didn't see the family enter or exit their house for a few days, and their car hadn't moved, so she tried knocking a few times before using the key that they had given her. When she entered, she said that she found them dead."

"Wait, wait, you said family?" Hank crossed his arms and frowned. Kids were involved in this too? He didn't like where this was going since he had had a child once as well. It was a sensitive subject for him.

"Yeah that's what she stated, guess I didn't think about asking her about it."

"I'll do it. Thanks." Hank waved him away and walked towards the shaken woman, who was visibly trembling from what she had found. "Ma'am?"

With a start, she looked up at him, a hand covering her mouth as she tried to keep her composure. "Y-yes?"

"My name is Hank, I'm with the police department..." He paused for just a moment before continuing. "I was wondering if you would mind if I asked a few more questions."

"Oh yes of course!" She stated, straightening her posture as she removed her hand from her face. "Anything to help."

With a small nod, Hank opened up his note pad. "First and foremost, may I have your name?"

"E-Emily," She said with a strained smile.

"Emily, do you know the names of the couple inside that house?"

"Herald and... Cammie... Philips..."

"Thank you, Emily. Now, that gentleman you spoke with earlier. He told me that you mentioned there was a family living in that house. Does that mean that they had children?"

"Yes... Connor and Richard. They're twins. They played with my daughter."

"And you don't know where they are now?"

"No... oh god..." Her eyes filled with tears as she covered her mouth again. "Someone kidnapped them!"

"Now now, Emily, we will do our best to find them. In the mean time, why don't you go ahead and go with these two to the hospital?"

In shock, she only managed to nod before getting into the back of the ambulance and letting them take her away. Hank sighed and rubbed his hand over his eyes. Connor and Richard. Now he had to deal with missing persons and of course it had to be two kids. Moving back to the house to see if he could find anything that the evidence team might have missed, he entered. He just hoped he could find these two kids. And try he did for the next two years with no luck.

___

Present day

It had been six months since Connor had healed completely and four months since Amanda had decided that the twins were not controlled enough and she made them go through even more rigorous training than she had them go through originally. Now this training was more of a torture of sorts, as she made them go through a simulation over and over until they perfected it, punishing them for mistakes by separating them continuously. Connor was also the target of her ire repeatedly, using him as a bargaining chip against Richard whenever he did something that she did not like. In short, she was done messing around.

Amanda stood next to the window, her hands neatly clasped behind her back. "I've been going too easy on these boys. I should have done this long ago." She paused for a moment before turning to a handler in the room with her. "Bring in subject W-B-two-zero-zero."

The man nodded before walking out the door and returning only moments later with a boy bring drug behind him. He thrashed about, trying to gain the upper hand, but it was no use, especially since he had no animals to aid him this time.

"Rupert?" Amanda said kindly. "There's no need to be afraid, we are simply here to help you."

She approached him slowly and he slowed down his movements, though continuing to eye her warily.

"We brought you here for protection."

"P-protection?" He asked confused. "Protection against what?"

"To protect regular every day humans from you, my dear."

"From me? What did I do!?" He asked, panicked now that she was right next to him.

"Well, Rupert, you have very special abilities that are becoming a concern to many, including me. So what I do is I bring people with these special abilities to my facility, contain them and eventually remove these abilities."

His eyes suddenly blew up in fear. "Remove?"

"Yes, my dear, remove." She brushed her hand against his face and Rupert felt a strange sensation, like a part of him was being taken away. "And your time has come."

After a few moments, Rupert collapsed to the floor, gasping as tears welled up in his eyes. He didn't feel right. He wasn't whole.

"Take him out of here. You can simply toss him back out on the streets since he's no longer a... threat."

The man simply nodded stiffly, obviously afraid and intimidated by her before picking up the boy and taking him to the outer walls of the compound before leaving him there. Slowly, Amanda clenched and unclenched her hand that she used to perform the removal before sighing lightly. "I should check on the boys."

___

Connor sat, slumped up against the wall, in pain and exhaustion. The physical exertion that he had been put through was getting to be too much. Richard settled beside him, obviously exhausted as well, though he was more used to the physical labor than he was.

'She's pushing use to the breaking point, Connor... But we can still pull through. We still have each other.' Richard spoke softly, reaching out through his mind.

'I... I might already be broken, Rich... I don't think I can keep doing this... We made her mad and now she's making sure we don't do anything wrong ever again. Or she's going to kill us trying...' Connor replied, feeling the fear that Richard exuded.

'Connor no, you can't give up now-'

'What left is there to hold onto? She's taken everything away from us, there's nothing left for us to fight for...'

'She hasn't taken us away. We still have each other.'

Tears erupted from Connor's eyes, surprising both of them. He hasn't cried in years. 'I miss... I miss our parents... I don't even remember what they look like, or anything about them, really... I just remember that I loved them...'

'We both loved them, Connor.' Richard pulled him close and let him cry, going silent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I apologize for not making this clear in previous chapters, but chapter 4 is a time jump to 3 to 4 years later. The twins had caught many super humans in that time. I apologize again and I am going to try and make time skips more obvious starting with this chapter.


End file.
